


Long way Home

by AM1517



Category: Chicago PD (TV)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-29
Updated: 2017-10-29
Packaged: 2019-01-25 22:06:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,211
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12542240
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AM1517/pseuds/AM1517
Summary: A job takes Erin back to Chicago but how will it be for her now





	1. Chapter 1

The desk phone ringing made her look up from the computer screen, where she was completing paper work from the case she had wound up the previous week.  
“Hello” she said answering the phone  
“Agent Lindsay, could you please call to Agent Roberts office immediately” was all the voice on the other end said  
Standing up Erin walked out of her cubicle and made her way into the elevator, pressing for the next level up. Once she reached the floor she stepped out and made her way to the office, once there the assistant Alice smiled and said, “He will only be a minute Erin, just finishing up a phone call”. Erin looked over to see her boss waving her in to his office.

Walking in to the office she couldn’t help but think where she will be sent this time and for how long.  
“Hello Agent Lindsay” Frank Roberts’ smiled as he greeted her  
“Hello Agent Roberts, what have we got today?”  
“We’ve got that job going with Agent Jeffries trying to set up a buy with that arm’s dealer, so we can work with the local police make the arrest. The agent previously overseeing the project has been called home on a serious personal matter and we want you to take over the day to day running of the operation and the team there already. It is being run out of the 2nd district in Chicago”.  
“Ok, how long do you expect this operation expected to run and when do I need to be in Chicago?”  
“We hope the job will be for 6 to 8 weeks at most and we will need you the tomorrow, so you can leave to pack and be ready to fly out tonight or early tomorrow morning, unless you have a pressing matter that makes that difficult.”  
“No sir, I’m all good to leave tonight”  
“Good, then I’ll have Alice will arrange it all and let you know all the details of your flight and accommodation.”  
“Thank you sir”  
She left the office and chatted with Alice the assistant for a bit and getting all the information she needed sent to her later. It was late afternoon by the time Erin got back to the small cubicle that was her office when she wasn’t out in the field.

*** 

The drive home took Erin over an hour, if she was willing to use the subway it would be quicker but she liked her own space at the end of the day. Once she arrived home, Erin ordered some takeaway and started to get her things ready for the flight early the next day. She had received the travel information on her drive home, with her flight at 6am the next morning. 

She cancelled the plans she had with some friends over the coming weeks, nothing major just a few catch up drinks with friends she had meet through work and a retirement party for a colleague. She didn’t have anyone in her life at the moment, she had dated since she had left Chicago but nothing had been long term. With her job involving going undercover for unknown lengths of time made serious relationship difficult with some and she had to face the real problem was they were not Jay Halstead.

She called Hank; to say she would be coming to Chicago soon and that they will catch up once her next assignment is over, her takeaway arriving once she had hung up with Hank. She was gathering her clothes and had gotten her winter gear out of storage; even though it was only September she wasn’t sure how long the job would last. While she was packing she can’t help thinking about leaving Chicago 3 years earlier.

_Erin was standing looking out over Chicago one last time when Jay called; she rejected the call and got in her car to drive home to start packing up her life. The life she had in Chicago, the job she loved but would no longer have if she stays, all her friends from the 21st district, Firehouse 51 and Chicago Med and her Intelligence unit family, Hank the only father she ever knew and Jay. Jay the only man she ever truly loved, who was waiting for her a Molly’s; she couldn’t bring herself to meet him there tonight not to say goodbye._  
_She picked up her phone and called Jay, she just didn’t know how she was going to tell him._  
_Jay answered with “Hi Lindsay are you still coming to Molly’? I’ve been waiting for you”_  
_“Sorry Jay, I won’t be able to come, I’ve got something that I need to talk to you about”_  
_“Ok, I’ve got something I want to ask you too, we can meet up now or tomorrow whenever works”_  
_“Jay, I’m leaving Chicago, I’ve been offered a job with the FBI in New York. I leave tomorrow. I don’t have a job or anything keeping me in Chicago anymore”_  
_“Erin you don’t have to leave, I’m sure that the ivory tower will lift your suspension, you’ll be back and we will work on Voight about the partner’s thing.”_  
_“No Jay I’ve already talked to Hank, he set this job up for me. I’m not coming back to intelligence again!”_  
_“Please Erin, please don’t go, I’ll come over to talk”_  
_“No Jay it’s all in motion now, I can’t change it”_  
_“Please Erin, please stay, I love you and want you to stay”_  
_“I love you too Jay, I have to go. Goodbye Jay”_

 

Erin then picked up the phone to call Jay, to let him know she will be there for work and would try to see him soon, as she always did for any travel she had to make to Chicago. Her call just goes straight to his voicemail.


	2. Chapter 2

The Intelligence unit had been busy with a case involving a group targeting ATM withdrawals; they were waiting until a woman has withdrawal, assaulting the individual and robbing them once they had walked away from the ATM. They had made the arrests that morning winding up all paperwork that afternoon, all members finishing up early to head home for a much needed break.  
This was how it came to be the Hank Voight was the last member left upstairs when his phone rang.  
“What’s wrong Erin?” he asked with concern in his voice. They talked once a week, normally on a Sunday and their last phone call had only been 2 days previous, having done so since Erin moved to New York only missing times when she was on assignment.  
“Nothing is wrong Hank, I just called to say I’ve got another assignment come up” the raspy voiced reply  
“That was quick, where you off to now?’  
“I’ll be in Chicago this time, I fly out tonight. They expect the operation to be completed in 6 to 8 weeks and want me to manage the team now that the previous team leader has been called home on a personal emergency, so it’s a big responsibility taking over someone else’s operation”  
“You’ll do fine and it’s you’re coming home for a bit, it’s been too long since you were last here” Hank was happy to hear that Erin was coming home, even if it was for a visit although he would prefer that she move back.  
“It’s been about 2 years and I’ll be right out of the city working out of the 72nd. I was hoping to see you after the job is wrapped up and maybe stay here for a week after just to catch up with everyone else”  
“You’re always welcome to stay with me and if you get tired of the FBI, I’ve always got a spot for you here in Intelligence. I need someone now that Al has retired.”  
“Thanks Hank, but I’m happy here. I need to finish packing and be ready for my flight; I’ll call you again when the job is finished”  
“Ok, stay safe kiddo.”  
“Always, Hank”  
Hank hung up the phone and lent back in his chair, he was glad that Erin was doing well at the FBI but it makes him feel more comfortable to have her close by. He decided it was getting late and decided to call it a day.  


**** 

Jay was sitting at the bar having a beer, just winding down after a long case. He had gone to the bar near his apartment instead of meeting the rest of the team. Lately he was finding that he was coming here more and more often rather than going to meet everyone else at Molly’s. Ever since that night Lindsay left he was finding that going to Molly’s was bringing up old memories, some of which he just wanted to forget.

__

_“I love you too Jay, I have to go. Goodbye Jay”_  
_Those were the last words she said before she hung up. Jay was crushed by the thought of Erin leaving Chicago and leaving him and their relationship. They might not be together right now but he wanted to move back into the apartment and he was going to propose tonight. After he stood outside Molly’s for what felt like hours, Jay decided to head home he couldn’t face all his friends enjoying themselves now or see his brother Will’s concerned glances the longer he waited._

__

_Once Jay had arrived home, he grabbed a shower and had a few more beers but he couldn’t stop thinking he had to do something, had to say something to get Erin stay. He tried to sleep but he just couldn’t, his mind wouldn’t stop playing through what ifs. What if he had never walked out of the apartment that night, what if he had been there to stop her from losing in interrogation that day? He finally gave up trying to sleep deciding instead to go for a drive._

__

_Jay was just driving heading nowhere in particular but found himself outside of her apartment building. Deciding that he was going to give it one more shot at convincing her to stay, so he found himself climbing the stairs to her apartment. Knocking on the door to 310, he was hoping that she was still here; still in the city not off to New York already. He was knocking for a while, when finally the door slowly opened and standing there in an old shirt he left behind, was the woman he loved more than anything else Erin Lindsay._  
_“What are you doing here Jay?” was all she asked_  
_“I didn’t want to just say goodbye over the phone, can I come in please”_  
_Erin walked back into her apartment and Jay followed her in, making his way to the kitchen. Looking around he saw boxes to be packed all around the apartment. He turned back to look at the kitchen and Erin standing there. Really looking at her now, he noticed how tired and down she looked now._  
_“Erin please don’t leave Chicago, I want you to stay”_  
_“Jay, I have to go, there is no other way for this to happen. I don’t have a job here and I made a deal to keep Bunny out of jail”_  
_“So this is what Bunny wanted for you to give up your life for her. You shouldn’t keep bailing her out; she is never going to change.”_  
_“Jay I don’t want you to tell me how to deal with my mother. It’s already in motion I’ve just got to go with it now._  
_“Please Erin; I want you to stop putting your mother before yourself, before us” Jay moved towards Erin and pulled her into a hug “I love you Erin and that’s not going to change.”_  
_Erin started to cry into his shoulder, so he moved them to sitting on the couch. Where he sat with his arm around her and her head on his chest_  
_“Stay with me tonight please”_  
_“Whatever you want” He said kissing her on the top of her head._

____

He was jolted out of his thought when someone sat down next to him, looking over he smiled at the girl who was sitting there. He had gotten close to her in the last few months, since he met her through work. He felt his phone going off, but he wasn’t working tonight. He ignored the call, letting it go to voicemail and turned all his attention back to the girl, Sarah.

____


	3. Chapter 3

It was 2 weeks since the caught the case, it started with a dead woman for a suspected overdose and a missing kid. Fairly normal case, like they had seen hundreds of times before in this city. Little did they know at the time that it was anything but normal would morph into something so big and horrible, the kind of case that would leave a mark on every person working on it. They had uncovered a smuggling operation, anything that there was a market for this ring was supplying it, drugs, guns and ammunition and even people. They were using Chicago as the distribution centre for the entire Midwest.

The team had been putting in long hours every day for the last week once they had discovered the smuggling ring. Each was checking with their Cis but all coming up empty, it was like no one knew anything or if they did they were too scared if the ring to provide the police with any information. Jay knew that it was getting to the team the not knowing anything and Hank was getting grumpy about it, he just kept hoping they would get a break in the case soon.

That morning in the bull pen, Adam was complaining to Kevin about them needing to do some searches on the computer and Jay couldn’t help but laugh at them.  
“What are you laughing at Halstead? Since your friend Mouse left it’s always fallen to Kev or me to do all this, we need a new tech person” Adam was still complaining  
“Why do you mention it to Voight then, it’s not like he hasn’t heard that before”

That was when Hank walked out of his office and looked around the team.  
‘Alright what have we got” he said addressing everyone in the bull pen  
“None of the CIs know anything Sarge, I just keep coming up empty on anything and we just know that this ring has been operating out of Chicago for a few months now. No one seems knows who the players are” Dawson put forward the rest of the team chorused this  
“How can no one know who this group is, someone somewhere must know something” Hank smacked the case board  
“The lab came back with the report on the drugs that the victim OD’d on, it’s a prescription drug used in Canada. She was also brutally beaten and sexually assaulted in the weeks leading up to her overdose. The ME believes that the victim was injected with the drug deliberately” Kim read off the lab report  
“The victim, Jane Pelikan a single mother was from St Louis and was here on business with her 10 year old son Peter, who is still missing. They left St Louis 5 weeks ago but never checked into the hotel here in Chicago.” Ruzek called across the room  
“I want all regular border crossing see if anything stands out, those drugs got here somehow and this kid is holed up somewhere and I want to know” he said angrily, staring at the board.  
“All right, this case seems like it will be running for a while, so I don’t want any of you over doing it. So I want any overtime done in shifts on a rotating basis, so I want pairs to be ready in case any overtime comes up. So tonight I want Atwater and Burgess on for any overtime, the rest of you I want you gone by 6pm and each night a different pair on the roster. ”

At 5pm Jay looked up from his desk to see Hailey Upton getting ready to leave, she had been his partner for the past 3 years. They had a good solid partnership but it lacks something that he and Erin used to have back in the day. He thought about the changes to the unit over those 3 years. Antonio Dawson had come back to the unit from the State Attorney’s office and was now partnered up with Kim Burgess, who had gotten her detectives badge; Hailey became a permanent member of the team and had become partnered with Jay. They had gained a new member in Detective Ben Lofts. Ben Lofts had become partners with Adam Ruzek after joining the team from Vice. Alvin Olinsky had finally retired two months ago wanting to move somewhere quieter than here. Adam and Ben were also finishing up for the day, talking about meeting up to have a drink after work.  
“Hey Halstead, Upton will we see you at Molly’s tonight?” Adam asked  
“I’m going home to catch up on some rest” Hailey said while putting on her coat  
“I’ll try to make it there tonight, was going to see Sarah tonight” shrugged Jay  
“Ok man, hopefully see you there”  
Jay pulled on his hoodie on, realising how cold it had started getting in the evenings and it was only the beginning of November. His phone beeped, having received a text. He checked his phone to find that Will Halstead had sent a message asking him to meet up at Molly’s, looked like he was going there tonight. He quickly sent a text back saying he will meet them soon.

*** 

Later that evening Jay opened the door and walked into Molly’s, all around him there were cops, firefighters and medical professionals talking and drinking. Will was at the bar and pointed to a booth where Natalie, his girlfriend of 2 years, was sitting. Jay made his way over to their booth.  
“Hi Jay, how are you and how is work?” Natalie asked  
“I’m good; the case we’re on at work is pretty intense”  
“Is that the case with the overdose?’  
“Yes, haven’t got much to go on at the moment.”  
“I hope you find whoever is responsible soon.”  
“So do I Nat”  
Will made his way back to the booth carrying three beers and pulled Jay into a hug.  
“It’s been a long time since we saw you here Jay spending all your time with Sarah. Where is she tonight?”  
“She’s working tonight, one of the other nurses in the Oncology department needed to swap shifts today so Sarah volunteered.”  
“That’s nice of her.” Natalie said  
The three of them drank there beers and chatted for a while, it was Jay’s turn to get the next round when Ruzek waved him over to where he was with Kim and Ben.  
  
“Hey man you made it” Ruzek said as Jay made his way over to where Gabby Dawson was handing them their drinks.  
“Yeah came here to meet Will and Natalie”  
“So where is your new girl Sarah?’  
“She had to work tonight, us both working long hours so that makes it difficult to catch up some times”  
“Yeah I remember what it was like when Kim was on patrol, hours didn’t always matchup” Adam said taking a drink of his beer  
“Jay, we all know that it’s not just the long hours that make it difficult, you haven’t really been in a serious relationship since you broke up with Lindsay. You start dating a girl and then when things get serious you bail every time. It’s just been over 3 years now and since then you just haven’t settled down, it’s time to move on with your life Jay. I miss her too but she isn’t coming back, her life is in New York and with the FBI.” Antonio said  
“Thanks Antonio, always giving helpful advice” Ruzek joked  
“I have moved on just haven’t found the right person to settle down with.” Jay said whilst grabbing the beers off the bar “I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”  
Jay went back to the booth where Will and Natalie were sat, he chatted with them for a bit longer before he decided to head home.

***

The following morning they were all in the bullpen, when one of the team discovered a lead.  
“Hey Sarge I’ve found a Jeremy Black, who owns a freight trucking business and has made multiple trips to Canada. More trips in the last 4 weeks than he has made in the last 2 years. His is also related of our victim Jane, she was his niece.” Atwater called out across the room  
“Find him and bring him in, I want to know how he is connected to this ring” Hank said  
“I’ve got his home address and his business address” Ruzek called after a few minutes of searching  
“Alright Ruzek and Lofts, I want you to take his home address, Halstead and Upton I want you to take his business. The rest of you I want to know everything about this guy, from what he does for the time he gets up in the morning to the time he goes to bed at night. I want it all everywhere he goes and everyone he talks to.  
  
They all got up and quickly headed down the stairs, to the cars, this was the first real lead that they’d had in over 2 weeks so were all eager to get some information.  
Jay and Hailey had just arrived at the freight depot they got a call that Ruzek and Lofts had found the guy at his house and were bringing him in to the station. They had a look around outside to see if there was any evidence of a smuggling ring set up in the office, but there was nothing obvious on the outside that was revealed from their cursory search of the area, as the office was shut and they had no warrant to gain access to the inside. The depot just looked like any other freight yard for a small business. After they looked around the yard, they had a drive around the neighbourhood and headed back to the station.  
  
Once back at the station Jay heads back upstairs to the intelligence bullpen, where the team was discussing the information they had discovered about the man they had in the interrogation room.  
“Jeremy Black is a 57 year olds widower. His wife died 2 years ago and his sister and her husband were killed in a car accident 8 years ago. The only family he has left is his niece Jane and her son Peter.” Kim read off her computer screen  
“He has owned the freight business for 20 years, running it with his wife until her death. No criminal record and he has never been linked to any criminal activity in any state. He has no known criminal associates and is no links to any groups. His last speeding ticket was over 15 years ago” Kevin added.  
“So how does he go from not having so much as a speeding ticket in over a decade to being mixed up with the smuggling ring. Reach out to your CIs and see if any of them have any information about what happened to this guy. Dawson you’re with me, we’ll go see if he is ready to talk to us yet” Hank said as he started walking through the bullpen towards the integration rooms.  
Dawson followed him out the room, while Kevin, Adam and Ben were all on the phone calling their CIs. Jay having done all he could for now decided to go watch as Hank and Antonio interviewed their suspect.  
  
Jay stood in the room next door to the interrogation room, looking through the one way mirror, Hailey and Kim soon joined him there. Jay noticed that Jeremy Brown was a very average looking person, average height with mostly grey hair that was slowing balding on top of his head. He was very agitated and was pacing around the room  
“Sit down” Dawson demanded, from where he stood with his hands rested on the back of the chair on the opposite side of the table to Jeremy  
“I shouldn’t be here, I need to leave now” Jeremy said  
“You’re not leaving anytime soon so take a seat” Dawson said raising his voice while pointing at the chair on the opposite side of the table  
“You don’t understand I need to leave now”  
“Then explain it to us because all we’ve got now is a dead woman, who happens to be your niece that has overdosed on prescription drugs from Canada and you’ve been making a lot of trips there recently” Hank said from where he was leaning against the wall  
Jeremy fell into the chair as he started to sob  
“I’m in here; they’ll think I’m working with the police. They took my Jane and Peter the only family I have left. They wanted me to transport things for them or they would kill my family and if I went to the police they would kill them. When I refused to take a load they killed her, they killed my niece. ”


End file.
